Putnam D.A. Adam Levy says sheriff targets him over slights

Mar. 30, 2013

Adam Levy

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Alexandru Hossu

Unanswered questions

Questions that Putnam District Attorney Adam Levy is not answering: • How did he meet Alexandru Hossu, and how did he come to live with him? Did Hossu pay him rent or provide personal training and other services in exchange for living there? • What was the time frame for when Hossu lived with him, and why did he move out six months ago? • Does Levy employ other live-in staff, and what is their relationship to Hossu? • When did Levy become aware that Hossu was a suspect in the violent rape of a child? Does he know the alleged victim? Has he asked his own daughter — the same age as the victim — whether Hossu ever said or did anything to her that could be construed as sexual or threatening while living with the family?

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CARMEL — Putnam County District Attorney Adam Levy accused Sheriff Donald Smith of targeting him, during an exclusive interview with The Journal News on Friday, but repeatedly refused to discuss the rape case against his former live-in trainer.

Alexandru Hossu, Levy’s one-time trainer, was charged last week with two counts of first-degree rape, a felony. Hossu, 35, an illegal Romanian immigrant, is accused of “forcibly and violently” raping a 12-year-old girl twice in a three-hour span in October 2010, choking her and pushing her onto a bed.

During a lengthy interview in his office, Levy would not answer questions about his relationship with Hossu, instead steering the interview back to several instances in which he said Smith went after him over real or imagined slights.

“Don Smith uses his office to target those he doesn’t like,” said Levy, the son of TV’s Judge Judy Sheindlin.

Levy wouldn’t go as far as to accuse Smith of arresting Hossu — who lived at Levy’s million-dollar home with his nanny, Jennifer Bartlett — as political retribution.

In a statement this week, Smith said his disagreement with Levy was professional, not personal.

“The sheriff has referred the matters concerning Mr. Levy’s reported relationship with Alexandru Hossu to federal authorities,” Capt. William McNamara told The Journal News on Friday afternoon. “The sheriff is confident that the government’s investigation will reveal the truth on these matters.”

Levy said he got along well with Smith until suggesting a few years ago that sheriff’s investigators videotape all confessions.

Smith and Levy clashed last summer when Levy moved to have town and village attorneys handle traffic tickets in local court while Smith wanted his deputies to keep the task. Levy said the change would reduce overtime deputies earn going to court.

In another instance, Smith criticized Levy for supporting the decision allowing a convicted sex offender from Mahopac to move back home, next door to his victim. Levy said his office did not oppose Mario Caruso’s move back home because it would be easier to monitor him when he was living in one location. He also noted that the victim’s father continued to socialize with Caruso. A judge eventually let Caruso move back home.

Levy accepted criticism for a case in which charges were dropped against a burglary and heroin suspect because he languished in jail too long before his case went to trial.

“That is the only time that has happened to us in roughly 10,000 cases,” Levy said. His office moved to reinstate the charges and Matthew Brown was recently rearrested.

Hossu remained in Putnam County jail on bail Friday though a federal immigration detainer warrant means he would stay at the jail or even be turned over to immigration officials were he to post bail. His next court date is May 7 in Southeast. He is represented by Stacey Richman, daughter of noted criminal defense attorney Murray Richman.